Rouxbe Online Culinary School
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Founded in 2005, Rouxbe ("ROO-bee") is the world's leading online cooking school. Rouxbe offers instructor-guided certification cooking courses for cooks of all levels using intuitive learning technology. Courses can be taken on demand, at your own pace. Rouxbe can be found in the kitchens of homes, schools, restaurants and professional culinary academies in over 180 countries.

Steps

Step 1: Preparing the Cucumber Garnish

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1 whole, English cucumber

Method

Step 1: Preparing the Cucumber Garnish

To create the garnish, start by cutting off the ends of the cucumber to create a stable base. Measure your paring knife to the center of the cucumber and make crown-like incisions all the way around, cutting right to the center. Make sure to connect the cuts. Once done, gently pull the cucumber apart into two pieces. Place the garnish onto the platter and begin assembling the cheese.

Chef's Notes

Please note that the platter shown is for about 25 to 50 people, depending on the amount of other foods on your buffet. Plan for 1 ½ to 2 ounces of cheese per person and scale this recipe accordingly.

If you don’t know a lot about cheese, don’t be afraid to ask the person at the cheese counter. We suggest finding a good local cheese shop though. Tell them you are having a party and would like a good cross-section of cheeses (a soft brie or camembert, a blue, a goat, and a hard cheese, like an aged cheddar, for example). They will be most happy to guide you. And don’t be afraid to ask for samples. It’s part of the business.

Make sure the cheese is brought to room temperature before presenting to guests. You can create a platter way ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Just make sure to take it out at least an hour before serving.

It really just comes down to personal preference. I know some people like to serve their platters before a meal starts, like an appetizer with drinks. However, in this case, guests can easily fill up before they even sit down to eat the main course. This is part of the reason why they are often served at the end of a meal.
Alternatively, you can plan for a more casual meal, where you serve cheese, sliced meats, olives, some nice bread and even some fancy nuts. This can be a real nice way to enjoy a more social meal without being too stuffed. It's also not a very stressful meal to put together, which is always good in my books. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Thanks for your insight... I have hesitated to serve cheese platters at the beginning of meals in the USA (as it is usually done here in gatherings) exactly for the reasons that you have pointed out. Your advice has been very helpful for making a balanced decision next time I plan including cheeses.